


One with the Waves

by Narina



Series: February Ficlet Challenge 2020 [24]
Category: Original Work, Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pacific Rim Fusion, Entities, Fantasy, Kaiju, M/M, Other, Romance, Weltenbrand
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-28
Updated: 2020-03-28
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:42:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23364895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Narina/pseuds/Narina
Summary: Sebulon has to adapt to a life without his brother. Isai has to adapt to being different.
Relationships: Original Male Character(s)/Original Non-Binary Character(s), Original Male Character/Original Male Character
Series: February Ficlet Challenge 2020 [24]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1621315
Collections: February Ficlet Challenge 2020





	One with the Waves

**Author's Note:**

> Somehow, antother Ficlet prompt turned into a longfic. This is set in the Pacific Rim universe though I'm not yet sure if the characters from the movies will appear. 
> 
> OCs are from Weltenbrand, again. Title is a line from "Ocean Soul" by Nightwish.

Things were getting worse every day. There were more and more Kaiju attacks and no one knew how long they would be able to deal with them. Right now, there was activity just south of Chile and Argentina, right where the Pacific Ocean met the Atlantic. They didn’t have much intel but they had to take the thing down before it could move on.

Isai took a deep breath as the connection built, as they were air dropped as close to the Kaiju as possible. It was almost routine by now and was thankful for that. They’d had a rough start, Sebulon and him, and had only managed to bond and pilot together after realizing they both disliked their parents. 

Today, the only things they bickered about were Isai’s fascination with Kaiju and Sebulon’s varying love interests. Nothing serious, no bloody fights. They saved that energy for the Kaiju.

“We’re getting close,” his brother said and Isai could hear his smile. 

“Don’t get cocky.” He knew Sebulon wanted to show off a little. Mostly for that new guy, a promising pilot who hadn’t found a partner yet but seemed very invested in getting into Sebulon’s bed.

“Stop judging me, I don’t judge your weird kinks.”

“They’re not weird.”

“Focus, please.”

Isai laughed while readying the weapons systems on his side. They never truly forgot that mission control could listen in, they had simply stopped caring months ago. The Kaiju was visible now, category 3 and with some nasty looking claws. There was also the tail to watch out for and not for the first time, they were glad to have a spear among their manual weapons. 

Fighting together was natural. A punch here, a missile there and evading enemy attacks. They had done this several times, had more confirmed kills than any other team and thought this would be an easy job. Maybe, in the end, they were both too cocky, too sure of themselves. Isai couldn’t tell where exactly the strike came from but they suddenly lost balance and there seemed to be some kind of acid on their hull.

They were vaguely aware of the commands being shouted at them but it was too distant and so they focused on their instincts and their neural link. Neither of them saw the claw that tore open his side and the last thin Isai heard before the pain made him lose consciousness was his brother’s scream. 

~

When he woke up in the hospital, he was alone. Sebulon was used to having his brother in his mind, even when they weren’t currently in the drift. Isai was always there but now all he sensed was dead silence and it made him close his eyes again. Maybe if he went back to sleep, this would turn out to be just another nightmare.

He wasn’t so lucky. People soon swarmed the room, doing all kinds of tests and asking questions he answered mechanically. Sebulon wanted them to leave, wanted to mourn in peace before going back to flirting and smiling. He didn’t know how long they fussed over him but after a while, finally, only Delilah remained by his side. They had been friends for years and she was always calm, so that was okay. 

“Do you want to talk?”

“Not really.” Sebulon closed his eyes, leaning back against the pillows. He was grateful that she didn’t pry because the last thing he wanted was to talk about Isai. “Tell me about the others,” he requested instead. The doctors had said he’d been unconscious for a few weeks.

“There was an attack in Australia but _Ishtar_ took care of that.”

“That’s good.” _Golden Ishtar_ was currently the only Jaeger with three pilots. He had met Naemi during his own training and they had briefly tried working together before she had joined Michael and Samuel in their team. Sebulon had seen them fight, it was truly impressive. 

“Other than that, there’s not much to tell. It has been suspiciously quiet for a while but we’re all waiting for the next big thing.” Delilah sighed, pushing her hair back. She wasn’t a pilot herself but she was part of the research division and her breakthroughs had probably saved thousands of lives. “They want you out there again as soon as possible.”

“Fuck.”

“I know.” 

Sebulon didn’t feel ready. He understood why they wanted him back, good pilots were rare these days. Still, the thought of entering a Jaeger again was like a fist clenching around his heart, stopping his breath and creating a lump in his throat. He remembered Isai’s pain and his own scream, the feeling of phantom claws in his own body. Sebulon knew he had delivered the final blow that killed the Kaiju but after that, there had only been darkness. 

“I can let them know that you need more time, even after healing.”

“No, I …,” he paused, taking a deep breath and looking towards the window. It was dark outside and the winds blew twigs against the glass. “I’ll get back to it. Just maybe check the candidates before the trials.”

“Alright.” Delilah got up, playing a gentle hand on his uninjured shoulder. “I admire your strength but if you ever need someone to talk or vent to, you know where to find me.”

He nodded, not sure if he should tell her about his preferred candidate. He had gotten along pretty well with Simeon even when his brother had been alive and maybe a familiar face, someone he already knew, would help move forward.

~

Pain was the first thing he noticed. Not the sharp and sudden experience of something tearing into his flesh but a burning sensation that came with every breath and an ache in muscles that shouldn’t be there anymore. Isai shivered despite feeling the sun on his skin and he slowly blinked his eyes open. 

Everything seemed a lot more vibrant than he remembered. He saw shades of colour he had never noticed before and he felt the nearby ocean with senses he couldn’t quite name. Sitting up wasn’t easy because his fingers kept sinking into the sand instead of supporting him. 

“What …,” he started only to cough when his voice wouldn’t cooperate. 

“Oh, you’re awake.”

Isai let out a small scream and tried to scramble away before realizing that the unfamiliar figure was too small and humanoid to be a Kaiju. Plus, there was the talking. His heart beat too fast and his lungs hurt but he tried to calm himself because if this … being hadn’t killed him yet, he might stay alive.

“Here.” The stranger – certainly not a human, though their face resembled one – handed him a fruit that he carefully took. “Eat, it will help.”

Not entirely convinced, Isai hesitated a little. He took one careful bite, savouring the flavour and the feeling of his sore throat finally being soothes. It didn’t seem to be poisoned but he still watched his companion. Long hair in various shades of blue flew around them like water and kind grey eyes watched him. Below the neck, he saw scales, barely covered by thin fabric that was more decorative than anything else. 

The arms and legs were covered in darker scales and ended in claws and that was probably what had made him think Kaiju at first. From the corner of his eye, the stranger looked a lot less human than when faced head-on.

“Who are you? What is this?” Isai finally asked after finishing the fruit. 

“I … saved you, I think.” The stranger shifted a little, getting comfortable while somehow changing their form to have actual feet and hands. “You may call me Atlantic.”

“Like the ocean?” He raised an eyebrow and carefully moved his aching muscles. Something was off, he just couldn’t tell what it was. 

“Yes.” Atlantic laughed and it reminded him of waves crashing into the shore. Isai smiled – he had always loved the sea. “You fought one of the monsters so I saved you.”

“The … you mean the Kaiju.”

“Is that what you call them?” Atlantic tilted their head to one side. “They are not just destroying the human parts of the world.”

Isai frowned at that. Years ago, he would not have believed there was more than humanity. But now there were Kaiju and now there was _Atlantic_ , a being both unsettling and endlessly beautiful. Like the sea, Atlantic never seemed to stay still, always shifting and moving. “What exactly do you mean when you say you’re Atlantic?” he asked, knowing he needed background information to fully grasp the situation. 

“Just that. I am the ocean you refer to by that name. I am … I don’t know. Human languages rarely have words for us. This form, it’s just a manifestation to talk to you.” Atlantic smiled and showed shark-like teeth. “It has been a while since I talked to someone, so if I should switch to something else, please tell me.”

“No, this is fine.” Isai couldn’t help but stare. There had sometimes been rumours about entities of the seas – mostly from Naemi and her friends – but he had never thought them to be this real. He wanted to reach out and touch Atlantic. “I did not expect this but after the initial shock … you look good.”

“Thank you.” Atlantic laughed a little. “I still don’t think I can show myself to all of humanity. I will, however, help fight these Kaiju. This is my world, too.”

“That's good.” He sighed. “Why show yourself to me?” There was nothing special about him – he could fight but wasn’t Sebulon the more obvious choice for all communication?

“Uhm …” Atlantic looked at him with a sudden sadness in their eyes. “You fascinated me. And besides – I didn’t entirely safe you. You died. I had to work my magic.”

That actually left him speechless. Logically, he knew that blow had to have been fatal. And still … coming back from death wasn’t as easy to accept as Atlantic’s presence. For the first time since waking up, Isai actually looked at himself, felt his own skin. It was new in many places though scars still remained. And there were scales. He drew in a sharp breath, the texture beneath his fingertips so foreign and yet … it felt right. He should be freaking out but curiosity took over. 

“Thank you,” he whispered. For saving his life, mostly. But also for trusting him, a stranger, enough to give him so much. “How can I help you?”

“I am not sure yet,” Atlantic admitted, sadness hardening their features. Isai wanted to reach out, touch that foreign face and just feel. Get closer. “You should get used to … everything.” There was a vague gesture, accompanied by a few waves crashing onto the sandbank they were sitting on. “I can help you adjust. And we can think of a way.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Narina_Vhey)


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